Arts, Design and Humanities / Art and Design / Fine Art BA (Hons) / Free Creative Essentials

Free creative Essentials

Unleash Your Creativity Without Breaking the Bank
Student looking at and feeling brightly coloured fabrics hanging from the ceiling

At DMU, we believe that financial constraints should never limit your ability to explore and express your artistic vision. Whether you're participating in workshops, attending taught sessions, or simply experimenting with new techniques, we've got you covered.

We are committed to providing an excellent student experience that nurtures your creativity and helps you achieve your goals. We offer a comprehensive range of perks designed to enhance your learning experience and creativity:

 

Free core course materials*

Core materials are readily available and free of charge to enable you to embark on your creative journey with confidence.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe’s creative apps are a core part of teaching and learning, which is why we provide students with free access to the software on DMU devices. You can also download the apps onto your personal devices, allowing you to work whenever and wherever you feel inspired.

Leicester Gallery Material Shop

Located in the award-winning Vijay Patel Building, the shop provides access to discounted art supplies such as paint, card, pens, and much more, making it easier and more affordable to bring your creative ideas to life.

AV Loans

We offer hundreds of pieces of high-end equipment for you to borrow. The right bit of kit can make all the difference in supporting your projects to help you produce professional-level work.

Bookable Photography and Video Studios

Whether you need to book a studio for a course project or for your personal portfolio, we have multiple studios to allow your creative vision to flourish. Each studio has technical support available to support your creative vision.

Free Access to Microsoft 365

We enable you to install Office applications on up to 5 devices for free, ensuring you have the tools needed for your studies, presentations, and projects at your fingertips.

These benefits, combined with our supportive community and vibrant campus life, ensure that you have everything you need to succeed and make the most of your time with us.

*Core Workshop Materials

We provide all essential materials used in workshops for inductions and taught sessions free of charge. These include:

  • Wood & Plastics: Softwood (2x1 and 2x2), MDF sheet wood (up to 12mm), plastics (up to 3mm)
  • Construction Sundries: Screws, bolts, adhesives, and more
  • Various Materials: XPS foam, stocked card, sheet steel (up to 1.5mm), bar, rod, tube (up to 12mm), wire
  • Spray Shop Services: All spraying
  • Printing Supplies: Paper for wide-format printing within the Vijay Patel building
  • Boards and Sheets: 1mm and 3mm pulp board, acrylic sheet material, styrene (up to 3mm), PETG (up to 3mm)
  • Print costs will also be reduced in almost all cases

Course-Specific Materials:

We provide additional materials tailored to specific courses free of charge to enhance your learning experience.

Here's a glimpse of what we offer for some of our courses:

  • Architecture: PLA and watercolour paper for laser cutting
  • Contour Fashion: Teaching packs, calico, pattern paper, bra wires, metal rings and sliders, suspender clips
  • Design Crafts: Buff stoneware clay, plaster, glazes, glass, solder, sheet alloys, emery paper, blades, yarns, screen development materials, inks, dyes
  • Fashion Communication and Styling: Teaching packs, 8x10 photographic paper, models for demonstrations and learning activities
  • Fashion Design: Teaching packs, calico, interfacing, pattern paper, bobbins, machine feet, threads, buttons, yarns
  • Fashion Buying with Design: Teaching packs, calico, interfacing, pattern paper, bobbins, machine feet, threads, buttons, yarns
  • Fashion Textile Design: Fashion design materials plus screen development, inks, dyes
  • Footwear Design: Teaching packs, tool packs, sample leather, flexi board, resin soles, pattern paper, buckles, cement, stiffeners, shanks, foam padding. Donated leather from Dr Martens, New Balance, Clarkes and Pittards
  • Fine Art: Black and white films, canvas, lino, inks, screen processing materials, plaster, Mod-Roc, photographic paper, newsprint, film positives, printmaking sundries
  • Interior Design: Jelutong wood for first year project
  • Photography: 8x10 photographic paper, black and white films
  • Product Design: Larger sizes of generic core workshop materials on request 
  • Textile Design: Yarns, screen development materials, film positives, inks, dyes, interfacing and backing fabrics, plain white cotton

Important Information

You may be eligible for additional funds from the University to support your course-related expenses. However, please note that the availability of free materials and financial support is subject to change based on various factors, including the University's financial situation and other external circumstances.

We strive to provide the best resources to help you succeed, but please consider this information when making your decision to join our courses. We will inform you as soon as possible if any changes occur.